Posts Tagged ‘Employment’

The video below were taken by a group of Taylor University students for their project. I had assisted them in a way, providing some limited insight into Jalan Tengku Kelana (or Little India area). The video brought back memories and I can recall some of the people they had interviewed.

I read few media sources and ended up confused. Nearly all reports said the number of applications increased (nearly tripled) to 5.6% out of 1.2 million applications between the period of June and August (3 months) as compared to just 2% as of May. refer (Bernama, Malaysian Insider, Malaysiakini). The excerpt below is from TMI:

The government’s efforts to get more non-Malays to join the civil service seem to be bearing fruit.

Job applications from non-Malays rose to 5.6 per cent between June and August this year compared to only two per cent as of May out of the 1.2 million applications received through the Public Service Commission (PSC), said PSC chairman Tan Sri Mahmood Adam (picture).

He attributed the increase to the large-scale campaigns carried out in the Chinese and Tamil print media as well as the dialogues held throughout the country.

But according to the Star, its not application but “joining” the civil service:

There has been an increase in the number of non-Malays joining the country’s civil service workforce in the last three months.

“There has been a marked increased from 2% to 5.6% of the total number of non-Malays joining the civil service throughout the country since June,” disclosed Public Service Commission (PSC) chairman Tan Sri Mahmood Adam during the press conference after launching Pusat Temu Duga SPA Malaysia office here Tuesday.

Mahmood said this marked increase in the numbers of non-Malays joining the civil service workforce were an indication that PSC’s strategy on perception and direct public engagement are showing positive results.

Looks like The Star made an error here.

Regardless of the number of applicants, to have a more balanced population we have to look at the number of people hired and also the vacancies available. According to PSC chairman, for next two years, the vacancies will be low since retirement age has been extended till 60. Estimated 7000 vacancies will be available for each of the coming two years. Now, even if all the 14,000 posts are given to non-Malays, it will barely increase the percentage by 1%! Now, how (and when) are we going to increase the non-Malay percentage to, say about 35%? Sure, you can take in temporary or contract staff as stop-gap measure, but its not a long term solution (like increasing front counter staff from 1000 to 3000). Create new posts? Not feasible as it means more civil servants => more salary and pension payments. So how?

It will be interesting to hear the reply to MP Hulu Selangor P.Kamalanathan’s oral question number 9 (refer here).

Its not easy to undo few decades of discrimination.

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Just imagine this, generation after generation working away, and now left with nothing. All this while, quarters provided, got salary, and enjoyed at relaxing environment, but their future is very bleak without ownership of house nor any suitable skills for uplifting their economic status. Can you imagine what is the fate of their kids? Did the previous generations ever thought of getting out of the vicious cycle or were they ever given a chance to do so?

Can imagine similar scenario happening for estate workers.

Hopefully in this case, the government is able to provide the families a piece of land or other award for their hard work and loyalty.

THE 86-year-old Rubber Research Institute of Malaya (RRIM) in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, will soon make way for a new integrated development in the Klang Valley and the 300 workers out of the 660 are worried that they would be forced to relocate to other research stations in various states.

The 1,348ha site, owned by the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) since 1925, is expected to be become a commercial, residential and transport hub under a joint venture between the Federal Government and the Employees Provident Fund.

The workers will have to be relocated to other research stations in Sungai Sari in Kedah, Bukit Kuantan in Pahang and Kota Tinggi in Johor.

Solid foundation: One of the oldest houses still standing within the grounds of RRIM. The 70-year-old house is now abandoned after the family moved out.

Some 243ha would be retained for RRIM facilities, which will include the headquarters, Centre for Excellence that houses latest research and development amenities, a business cluster to encourage foreign investments, the Royal Commodity College trains workers for the industry and a museum.

The site is one of the federal assets to be redeveloped under the Greater Kuala Lumpur Strategic Development Project, an initiative under the 10th Malaysia Plan to revitalise the city.

A. Vellaiamah, 70, worked as a rubber tapper at RRIM for 41 years.

The mother of four is suffering from an enlarged thyroid and doctors had advised her not to go ahead with the surgery as there might be complications.

Three of her children have died of cancer.

Her father Ayamuthu was the only chief security guard at RRIM in the 1940s. Vellaiamah’s husband, Kandhasamy, was a chief driver here who died 26 years ago.

Her son, Gunasegaran, who represents the family’s fourth generation, now works at RRIM.

“My paternal grandmother worked as a rubber tapper, too. I have spent most of my life in this estate. I am sad with the impending development as that would mean we would be displaced to other states and my grandchildren won’t have the opportunity to work at RRIM.

“This place holds sentimental values for me because the Indian community are the ones who made RRIM what it is today. I consider my family to be one of the pioneers of RRIM,” she said.

For Vellaiamah, she will mostly miss working in the serene environment as well as the freedom for her three grandchildren to play at the football field and spend time with other kids at the RRIM quarters.

All in the family: Janaky (back row, left) and her grandchildren S.Sangeetha (from left) S. Thanabalan, S. Tines, S. Thineswary and S. Arnin who are living at the RRIM quarters.

R. Janaky, 58, who works as a general worker, will be retiring next year but wants to extend her employment until the age of 60.

“I don’t know where they will post us to next. I have worked at RRIM for 31 years. My husband. a supervisor, has also just retired. My son works as a general worker at RRIM, so you can see the tradition we maintain in the family because we love working here.

“It is close to impossible to find a beautiful green lung like this in Klang Valley in this day and age. We would like to remain here and I hope the management will listen to our plight,” said the mother of five and grandmother to nine.

P. Chinna has a year before he retires from RRIM as a field recorder.

The 58-year-old is a third generation from his family working at the estate.

“My grandfather and father both worked at the RRIM experiment station in Sungai Buloh.

“I was born within the grounds of RRIM,” he said.

The father of three brought up his children on the estate.

“There are a lot of good memories and we have built precious relationships with the people here.

“I am just worried that couples who both work at RRIM will be relocated to different states which could disrupt their family union.

“The management should at least consider retaining about 80ha to house the workers. The relocation move could prove stressful to a lot of us,” said Ramasamy.

Good initiative to help the underprivileged women to learn new skills and improve their livelihood.

THE first day of every life-changing event is a significant part of our lives, and so was the first day at work for Jayamary Balakrishnan, a 28-year-old orphan, as a wedding make-up artist.

Jayamary Balakrishnan spent the first 18 years of her life in an orphanage and never stepped into a school because her guardians only found her birth certificate much later in life.

Useful skill: PLRK also conducts sewing classes and can take up to 15 students at a time.

“I never had my first day in school experience and my childhood was mostly spent in the home. I was longing for an opportunity to learn something and be independant.

“Being a woman, I naturally began to have a liking for grooming. Ever since I stepped out of the home to live on my own, I have been looking to enrol in make-up and grooming courses but the fees were very expensive and I could not afford it.

“My friend suggested I apply to Pusat Latihan Rakyat Kasih (PLRK) and the rest is history,” she said.

Jayamary is one of eight underprivileged women, the second batch of students, to successfully graduate from the six-month bridal make-up course conducted at PLRK located in Taman Desaria, Petaling Jaya by Persatuan Kebajikan Kasih (PKK).

“My first customer was a bride in Malacca on Oct 28. She was my first customer and I was nervous at first, but once I started, concentration kicked in and my nervousness went away.

“It gives me great satisfaction to have the privilege to make a woman look ravishingly beautiful on the most important day of her life.

“My customer was happy and I was more than happy to pocket a handsome RM2,200 which is a big sum of money for me. What more can I ask for and I am doing what I love,” she said, adding that she would continue to pursue the advance bridal make-up course at the training centre.

The bridal make-up course is conducted by trainer Thevagi Segar.

“During the bridal make-up course, I teach the basic five steps in preparing an Indian bride for her big day which includes threading, facial, saree tying, hair styles and make-up. Once the essentials are mastered, the students have the option to further enhance their skill by learning henna drawing and others.

“These skills need practice to become perfect and therefore every class is conducted on a practical basis. I believe with perseverance, these women will pull through,” she said.

PKK president Peter A Dass said their members believe in the importance of education as a foundation to sustain oneself in the current economic situation.

“We started a girls’ home five years ago and found that many women especially single mothers find it difficult to make ends meet. Learning additional skills will help them to earn extra income thus improving their living standards.

“We are also currently conducting sewing classes followed by advance classes to supplement, and hope to kick off the basic computer classes early next year. We charge a nominal fee of not more than RM100 per month to instill a sense of commitment,” he said.

Guest of honour, Senator S. Ramakrishnan presented the certificates to the students.

“Learning skills is a very importance aspect in determining one’s sosio-ecomonic status.

“There are about four million legal and illegal unskilled foreigh workers, so the unskilled Malaysian will be competing with this group.

“A developed country should have 40% of skilled workers but Malaysia only has 28%, which shows that we have a long way to go.

“Bridal make-up is a ready market, so go out and make yourselves become one of the best groomers,” he said